Neil Armstrong in LEM, July 20, 1969. (NASA/Newsmakers)
Flags have been at half-mast with the passing of astronaut Neil Armstrong this week, which brought back fond memories of the summer of 1969. Looking back, I recall the enormity of the achievement as it marked the victorious end of Kennedy’s space challenge in which he vowed to “put a man on the moon by the end of the decade”. The awesomeness of the feat has faded considerably over the decades since.
Continue readingLast night around 9:30 or so, I glanced up into the clear evening sky and noticed a bright object to the southwest about 30 degrees from the horizon. At first it was no big deal as I considered it to be a jet or far-off helicopter, but then I noticed that the bright object was not moving from its location, even after 5 minutes. I then went inside, grabbed a pair of binoculars, and went back out to study the phenomenon. Through the glasses, the object appeared more vivid with pulsating lights of a definitive white, red, blue and what I thought seemed to be a faint trace of green. I figured it was a weather balloon or high-flying helicopter. It vaguely reminded me of the flashing lights of a police car way, way off in the distance. I mentioned it to my Father who was nearby, and his conclusion after giving it the once over, was that it was a satellite.
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